MEMORIES PT18

One of the best things about living in Dorchester was the Boston Public
Library system. I lived within walking distance of three branches and I
made use of all three of them during the summers. The closest and largest
branch was in Codman Square. I’d walk down Evans St to Milton Ave, then
over to Dorchester High and cut across Roberts Field to Washington St
and then to the library. The second branch was in the Lower Mills section
which was a longer walk in the other direction down Gallivan Blvd past
the Stop & Shop. Finally there was the Mattapan branch which was over
on Blue Hill Ave.

During the summers I would take out around 18 books every two weeks,
read them, and then bring them back form the next bunch. Getting my
paper route made things very easy because I used my empty newspaper
bag to lug the books back and forth between the library and our apartment.
It also made it easy to read a book while I walked whith the rest in the bag!
Things became even easier once I’d learned to ride my bike, because it
made the trip home faster and I could lie on my bed and read, or maybe
sit outside on the frontsteps with whatever books I’d chosen. My only
problem was remembering to return the books to the branch I’d borrowed
them from!

That was how I discovered Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books, the sports
books by John R Tunis, historical novels by Rosemary Sutcliff, and the science
fiction and fantasy novels of Andre Norton. Those were great books for kids and
they made me a great lover of books.So much so that fifty years later I’m a
bookseller veteran of twenty-two years recommending those same books and
others to a new generation!

((304 words))

Written for the Family History Writing Challenge